# Car Froze after Car Wash...yes..I'm an idiot

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-froze-after-car-wash-yes-im-an-idiot/77007>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** cr-v, honda\
**Created:** [January 28, 2013, 9:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-froze-after-car-wash-yes-im-an-idiot/77007 "2013-01-28T21:46:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![suiterw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b19c9b/32.png) [@suiterw](https://community.cartalk.com/u/suiterw)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 9:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-froze-after-car-wash-yes-im-an-idiot/77007/1 "2013-01-28T21:46:16Z")

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Hi,  
So my car was looking really rough, covered in salt. I took it to a car wash which was across the street from where i was staying last night. After the car wash, I drove home about 1 min.

The car sat overnight (temp to -5).

The car won’t start today. When I turn the key, it makes a “whirring” sound but doesn’t turn over. No clicking. Good power, all lights are on. Put a booster battery back on the battery to try to rule out a batter issue, still no start.

Can the starter actually freeze? Other thoughts?

I’ll never wash the car again.

Frozen in VT

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**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 12:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-froze-after-car-wash-yes-im-an-idiot/77007/2 "2013-01-29T00:02:55Z")

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I suppose its possible. If you mean one of those drive through car washes that spray underneath pretty good as you drive in. I always make sure the cars can sit in the garage afterward.

At any rate, a whirring sound could be the starter motor itself running, but the gear not engaging o the flywheel by the bendix solenoid. So maybe if water got into the solenoid, its frozen. You’re gonna wanna thaw the starter out with a heat gun or something or just get it inside.

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**Author:** ![Stoveguyy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Stoveguyy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Stoveguyy)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 12:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-froze-after-car-wash-yes-im-an-idiot/77007/3 "2013-01-29T00:53:07Z")

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I went thru a wash once and my brakes refused to work upon leaving the drive thru. Took a block or so to warm up the calipers/rotors. Never heard of a starter freezing due to a car wash spray.

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**Author:** ![RemcoW](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/remcow/32/2471_2.png) [@RemcoW](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RemcoW)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 1:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-froze-after-car-wash-yes-im-an-idiot/77007/4 "2013-01-29T01:44:13Z")

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I’ve never heard of that either but I guess it can happen. Maybe it just coincides with driving it through a carwash.  
I’d smack the starter with a rubber mallet for punishment. Maybe it will get unstuck. If that doesn’t work, smack it some more until it is obvious that it needs replacement.